The 2010 International Sarcoma Awareness Week
An ESUN Article
International Sarcoma Awareness Week (ISAW) grew to involve 21,523 people this year, surpassing our goal of 20,000 participants. A wide variety of activities were held around the world to increase sarcoma awareness, and teams raised over $647,000 to support various cancer centers and advocacy groups. Events took place in 14 countries and 26 states in the United States. The following graph shows the rapid growth in participation in the Team Sarcoma Initiative since its inception in 2003.
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An Overview of ISAW 2010 Events
The variety and scope of events that took place during International Sarcoma Awareness Week is truly amazing. People ran, walked, cycled, hooped, played soccer, bowled, golfed, went scuba diving, road motorcycles, flew in glider planes, and built sand castles. They also attended dances, luncheons, picnics, silent auctions, plays, online events and educational forums. All of these events were aimed at increasing sarcoma awareness, and many were also fundraisers. Events were held in honor of individuals fighting sarcoma, and other events were held in memory of those who lost their lives to sarcoma. These events helped put a "face" on the disease.
Scores of events had television coverage, and almost all of them had press coverage. Some of the events reached very large audiences. For example, part of the "Race for Sarcoma" in Mexico City was broadcast on national television (ESPN). A lengthy interview on a morning talk show in Phoenix, Arizona, featured the Strike out Sarcoma event . Drivers in the “Trucking for Sarcoma” event placed “Sarcoma Knows No Borders” placards on their trucks, and they covered over 160,000 miles in the United States during the week. More than 700 people biked, rollerbladed, and skateboarded in the rain through the streets of Warsaw, Poland, gaining attention from local residents and the media. Despite temperatures over over 100° F, about 250 people participated in the "Be A Superhero 5K" in Waco, Texas, which was also covered in the press. There are many more stories like these, with tens of thousands of people learning about sarcoma as a result of the week's events.
Over 150 groups have been involved worldwide since the first International Sarcoma Awareness Week in 2003. More than $2 million has been raised for sarcoma research and support during ISAW since its inception. Events have been held in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and New Zealand in the Pacific Rim; in Austria, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain and Ukraine in Europe; and in Canada, Mexico, and over 30 states in the United States in North and Central America. The list of teams and organizations involved this year is truly impressive and is given at the end of this article.
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We are thankful for the hundreds of people who volunteered their time and talents to create such a successful global Initiative. We also appreciate everyone who participated and supported the movement.
About ISAW
The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative has coordinated International Sarcoma Awareness Week since its inception. The global effort has been achieved through collaboration with numerous individuals and organizations that share a similar vision. Monies raised by ISAW events have funded more than $2 million in sarcoma research, advocacy and support.
2010 ISAW Events were Planned by the dedicated groups and organizations below.
Medical Centers
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
East Midlands Soft Tissue Sarcoma Service
Emory Winship Cancer Institute
Essen University Hospital
First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat Sen University
Glasgow Royal Infirmary
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Hospital Sant Pau
Huntsman Cancer Institute
Joan Karnell Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology
Massachusetts General Hospital
Menorah Medical Center
Mexican National Institute of Genomic Medicine
Mexican National Institute of Pediatrics
Mid-America Sarcoma Institute
Moffitt Cancer Center
Mount Sinai Hospital
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Princess Margaret Hospital
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
St. Vincent’s Health
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio
Vilnius University Hospital
West German Cancer Center
Advocacy Groups
Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation
Asociación Española de Afectados por Sarcoma (AEAS)
Brandon’s Defense Foundation
Brian Morden Foundation
Dan’s House of Hope
Das Lebenshaus
Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation
Ewing’s Cancer Foundation of Canada
GIST Cancer Awareness Foundation
GIST Support International
Grupo Español de Investigación en Sarcomas (GEIS)
Hannah’s Chance Foundation
iCureASPS
Info Sarcomes
Jennifer Hunter Yates Sarcoma Foundation
Jim Hauser Sarcoma Foundation
Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Foundation
Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative
Lithuanian Patient’s Advocacy Group for Rare Cancers (ROLLD)
Miles Alpern Levin Fund
National LeioMyoSarcoma Foundation
Peter Skelton Sarcoma Research Foundation
Reid R. Sacco Memorial Foundation
The Sarah-Grace Sarcoma Foundation
Sarcoma Foundation of America
Sarcoma Trust
Southeastern Sarcoma Foundation
sPECial Fund
Stowarzyszenie Pomocy Chorym na Miesaki “SARCOMA”
We Will Never Give Up Foundation (Aqui Nadie se Rinde)
Groups of Patients, Friends and Families
Arizona – Strike out Sarcoma Night
California – Cupertino: Sarcoma Awareness Week Barbecue
California – San Carlos: Over the Hill Gang
California – San Francisco: Out of the Shadows and into the Sun
California – Team Raven Lunatics
Canada – Do Your ‘S’ for Sarcoma
Canada – Trenton: Sarcoma Step & Fetch!
Denmark – Vedersø
Kentucky – Swinging for Sarcoma
International – Sarcoma Awareness Event on Facebook
International – “Sarcoma Knows No Borders” Event on Facebook
Malaysia – Team Sarcoma Nature Walk
Maryland – J-Rock-n-Run
Michigan – 70 and Sunny ATV Fun Run
Michigan – Strike Out Cancer ~ Bowling For Sarcoma
Michigan – Soccer ‘Round the Clock
Michigan – Heavenly Rainbow Cross-Roads
Montana – Fishin’ for the Cure
New Jersey – Sandcastles for Sarcoma
New York – Hoop and Walk for Sarcoma
New York – Westchester Sarcoma BBQ
Oregon – Team Raven Lunatics
Pennsylvania – Adrianne Pfeiffer Memorial Golf Tournament
Pennsylvania – Keepin’ it Kevin: Team Sarcoma Bike, Walk and Run
Texas – Cedar Hill: “Healing Hearts for Angiosarcoma” Walk n Shop
Texas – Waco: Be A Superhero 5k
Vermont – Seven 10K’s for Sarcoma
Washington State – Team Raven Lunatics
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